Bottom expander



June 10, 1952 P. E. wlxoN x-:TAL

BOTTOM EXPANDER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Original Filed Jan. 6, 1948 3mm Paul ,ZL- VVZQCOVU, Clcwence E'. Chapman,

June 10, 1952 P, E, WlxQN ETAL BOTTOM EXPANDER 2 Sl-{EETS-SHEET 2 Original Filed J an. 6. 1948 Paal E. www@ Clarence E Chajmw,

Patented June 10, 1952 BOTTOM EXPANDER Paul E. Wixon, Reistcrstown, and Clarence E. Chapman, Baltimore, Md., assignors to Joseph Shapiro Original application January 6, 1948, Serial No. 748, now Patent No. 2,546,621, dated March 27,

1949, Serial No. 94,893

3 Claims.

Our present invention, which relates generally to machines for making paper cups, has for its object to provide an improved means for expanding the flange of the cup-shaped end closure member against the side wall of the cup body.

To the attainment of this object the invention resides in those novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be rst described in detail and then be specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the bottom expander.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the same on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 2A is a detail elevation of a portion of the lever 433.

Fig. 3 is a continuation of Fig. 2 and when joined with that figure on the lines A--B, those figures may be read as one.

Fig. 4 is a face View of the cam shown in part in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevation of the bottom expander roller.

Fig. 7 is an elevation of the same looking from right to left in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an end elevation of the bottom expander slide block shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is a detail view of the same looking from right to left in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a detail plan view of the bottom expander roller operating slide block shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 12 is a rear elevation of the same.

In the drawings in which like numerals and letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures (which numerals and letters of reference are the same as in our original application filed January 6, 1948, Serial No. '748, now Patent No. 2,546,621, of March 27, 1951 of which application the present one is a division), I represents the upper base of the machine and represents the drive shaft of the machine while 3| is a bevel gear for connection to other parts of the cup making machine not pertinent to the present invention and hence not shown or described in this application. v

Mounted on a motor base 395 is a motor 4|8. The base 395 is secured to the expander base 396.

Carried on a slide 398 that is mounted on the Divided and this application May 23,

base 395 are shaft bearings 399 in which a bottom expander tubular shaft 40| is journalled. The shaft 40| has a bottom expander head 400- on one end of the shaft and a tension spring guide nut 403 on the other end, which nut engages a thrust bearing 399a at one side of the rear bearing 399 while a split nut 402 on shaft 40| engages the other side of said thrust bearing to hold shaft 40| against endwise movement in its bearings 399.

Slidable longitudinally in shaft 40| is a bottom expander slide block operating shaft 406 on one end of which, and within the head 400 is a conical nose 409. Longitudinal movement of shaft 405 in shaft 40| is limited by a pin and slot connection 491 between the shafts. Mounted between nut 403 and a tension spring guide washer 405 on shaft 406 is a tension spring 404. The washer 405 carries a ball thrust bearing 4|| between which and a radial bearing 4|4 in a trunnion member 4|3 is a connecting sleeve 4| A slide block operating shaft adjusting nut 4|2 is threaded on the rear end of shaft 406 and abuts the radial bearing 4|4 (Fig. 2). The trunnion studs 435 of the member 4|3 ride in trunnion blocks 434 in the fork of a bell crank lever 433 that is pivoted at 432a to a bracket 432 mounted on the base 393. A nose safety spring 4|0 is mounted on the shaft 406 between the washer 405 and a split nut 408 to dampen the return movement of shaft 400. A split pulley 4|5 is secured to shaft 40| and is connected to a pulley 4|5 on the shaft of a motor 4|8 by a belt 4|'|. The bearing 399 to the left of pulley 4|5 when viewing Figures 1 and 2` has laterally extended pilot rod bearings M9 in which pilot rods 420 are mounted. Slidable along the rods 420 is a clamp 42| that is adapted to slide along the rods 420 against springs 444 on the rods. The clamp 42| is provided with an electric heater 422 as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. The clamp 42| has a tubular portion shaped to fit over the cup body on the adjacent conical former |9I. Mounted in the expander head 400 is a roller operating slide block 423 that has a bearing lug 428 (Figs. 2, 10 to 12) and a beveled nose 421. The block 423 is held in place in the head 400 by retaining plates 425 and 443 and is normally held with the lug 428 in axial alignment with shaft 405 by springs 424. The head 400 is provided with a side opening and an end opening 425x with the retaining plates 425 and 443 closing said openings respectively. The plates 425 and 443 are secured to the head 400 by suitable bolts 425'l and 443", respectively, as shown in Figure 1. The end plate 443 is provided with a slotted opening 443x, as shown in Figure 2, through which the bearing lug 42:8 of the slide block 423 is adapted to extend. An adjustable stop 426 is provided in the plate 425 to limit the radial movement of the block 423. Rotatably mounted on the lug 428 through the medium of a ball bearing 43| is an expander roller 429 which has a bottom rolling portion 439 of the required shape. The roller 429 has a flange 429a to engage a shoulder 421a in the clamp 42l. By virtue of this construction when lever 433 is rocked the slide 398 will be first moved from right to left in Fig. 2 against stop 442, at which time clamp 42! will have been placed over the end of the cup body and bottom assembly. Further movement of lever 433 in the same direction causes shaft 446 to advance until nose 409 forces block 423 radially outward to move lug 428 oif center and cause roller 429 to roll the inside of the cup bottom ange to complete the bottoming operation.

Lever 433 is operated by means of a rod 43? slidable in a vertical guide bracket 43e mounted on base l and coupled to a fork 438 which straddles shaft 39 and has a roller 439 to ride the groove of a suitable cam 4i] having its hub 44| secured to the shaft 39 (Figs. 2, 3).

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought that the construction, operation and advantages of the invention will readily appear to those skilled in the art.

What we claim is:

1. In a machine of the class described wherein a bottom expander has a tubular shaft and a slide block operating shaft within said tubular shaft the improvement which includes a head for said tubular shaft having a chamber open at an end and a side thereof; a closure plate over said side opening; a slotted plate over said end opening, a slide block within said chamber and having a bearing lug projecting through said slotted plate; means continuously urging said slide block to hold said slide block with said bearing lug co-axially disposed with the axes of said shafts; a nose on said slide block operating shaft for engaging and moving said slide block radially outward to disalign said bearing lug; a cup engaging roller on said bearing lug with an anti-friction bearing interposed between said roller and said lug; and means to advance said nose to operate said slide to move said roller into expanding contact with the cup; and means to rotatesaid shafts.

2. In a machine of the class described wherein a bottom expander has a tubular shaft and a slide block operating shaft within said tubular shaft, the improvement which includes a head for said tubular shaft having an end and a side opening, a cover plate for said side opening in the head, a cover plate for said end opening having-a slotted aperture therein, a slide block in said head, said slide block provided with a bearing lug arranged to project through the slotted aperture in said end opening cover plate, resilient means in said head interposed between the side opening cover plate and said slide block for retaining said slide block and bearing lug in axial alignment with said shafts, a nose on said slide block operating shaft engageable with said slide block for radially moving said bearing lug out of axial alignment with said shafts, stop means disposed in said side opening cover plate and engageable with said slide block to limit the radial movement of said slide block and bearing lug, a cup engaging roller freely mounted on said bearing lug and means to advance said nose into engagement with said slide block for moving said roller into expanding contact with a cup and means to rotate said shaft.

3. In a cup making machine wherein a mandrel receives a cup body projecting beyond the end of the mandrel and means are provided for supporting a flanged cup bottom within said projecting end; the improvement which comprises a A bottom expander that includes: a bottom expander base, a slide slidably mounted on said base, a

pair of shaft bearings on said base, a tubular shaft journalled in said bearings, a bottom expander head on said tubular shaft, said head having a side and an end opening, cover plates for said openings in the head with cover plate for the end opening having a slotted aperture, a roller operating slide block radially slidable in said head, a bearing receiving lug on said slide block arranged to extend through said slotted aperture. resilient means interposed between said side opening cover plate and said slide block for positioning said bearing lug in axial alignment with said tubular shaft, stop means in said side opening plate engageable with said slide block to limit the radial movement of said slide block and bearing lug, a bottom expander roller ro- I tatably mounted on said bearing lug, a clamp yieldingly mounted on one of said shaft bearings with the forward end portion of said clamp projecting beyond said roller in its inoperative position, a heater on said clamp in aligned relation with said roller, means to first move said slide to bring said clamp into position with respect to the cup on said mandrel and then advancing said roller beyond the heater on said clamp and into the flanged bottom of the cup and upon further movement to move said slide block for radially moving said roller into rolling contact with the flanged bottom of the cup.

PAUL E. WIXON. CLARENCE E. CHAPMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Miller Aug. 2, 1938 

